This was my first time at this fairly new Sylvania, OH restaurant. It’s located on Main St. just north of Brint Rd. We had a large party of 12, and were seated at a row of tables in the corner of the bar/lounge area. It was a snug fit, but not uncomfortable. The atmosphere was nice, if not a little dark. We were seated right in front of the fireplace, and it was hot through most of our dinner. I will say now, I grabbed my Canon XSi with Canon 40mm f/2.8 “pancake” to throw in the pocket of my leather jacket, as anything bigger won’t fit. But it was so dark, I couldn’t get any pictures with the lens, I really needed to bring the 50 f/1.4. So I apologize for the lack of pictures.
The menu features a wide range of a dishes from the expected Cajun classics like crawfish etouffee, to steak, even Black Angus meatloaf. Every one of the twelve of us found something that sounded good.
I took at look at their very different draught beer list. Basically all craft brews, many I had never heard of. I ordered an Ommegang Three Philosophers as the description intrigued me and sounded like a beer I would enjoy. This was the first quadrupel I have tried. It was served in a small branded glass (due to the moderate alcohol content of 9.8%). It was very good; malty and sweet, but not overly so. It was not bitter to me at all. I may have to find some of this to try it again.
A couple guys ordered appetizers for the table: Taste of Jamaica Wings and Chicken Livers. The wings were marinated in rum and a jerk spice. They were topped with pineapple. They had great flavor, with a little bite to them. My only complaint is that some could have been a bit crispier. The chicken livers, sauteed and served with a white wine sauce, were a new experience for me. I’ve never had liver of any kind actually. Anyways, they were amazing. A little crispy on the outside, but soft inside with a strong, unique, meaty flavor. I would get these again.
After going back and forth between scallops, possibly a bison burger, maybe even a blackened grouper sandwich, I went with the crawfish etouffee. It was served ladled atop their dirty rice, which was delicious and a little spicy by itself. This thick, stew-like dish was loaded with crawfish tails and flavor. I was very happy with my choice of entree.
I got to try a bite of the ribye, which was seared well, but not even close to the medium rare doneness that was ordered. After seeing the steak in the light after dinner, I’m not even sure if it could be called rare… Also, I was disappointed with the texture and flavor of the ribeye. It didn’t seem to be marbled like a good ribeye should be, and the lack of marbling showed in the flavor. It was quite bland.
The biggest problem we had was with our waitress, although I don’t think it was her fault. She seemed overwhelmed with the group of twelve and got no help from anyone. Drinks and appetizer orders seemed to be taken at random. Salad came out, and a couple people didn’t get theirs. It took three trips to the kitchen to get our meals out, and two took quite a while after the first 10. When we were ready to go, someone had to go find out waitress to get the checks. I’m not sure if she was waiting tables in the main dining room as well, but she definitely could have used some help with our table.
Overall, most seemed to enjoy their meal (including myself), but it was hit or miss for some, especially those who had to wait for salads and/or meals. The place wasn’t very busy, but it was around 6 when we got there on a Wednesday night. They still could have used more waitstaff though; I believe that would have solved our problem.
There were some menu items I’d stay away from, but would definitely order the chicken livers and crawfish etouffee again (and the Three Philosophers). Both were very good, so I can’t tell you to avoid the whole place.
Explorer of Food 